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Asahi TV created a special episode of Housekeeper Mitazono which was created without the cast meeting with other. Most of the episode was taken and shown as a view of a computer screen with the plot is shown via video calls, video conferences and Audio.

It was really nicely done. At some places they had to stretch the plot (and technology) a bit, but overall a good episode and very good writing.

People and companies are discussing Holograms and remote presence for a while, but recent days and necessity show that it is possible to make TV shows with remote presence. It is possible to have comedian act in their living room with a reasonable result.

What we now need to do is to connect the Audience in a more interactive way and we can be ready for the next pandemic.

Two years with the Vivosport and the belt is torn/broken. There is no way for me to fix or replace it, as there is no accessory available to buy.

Encouraged by a Japanese blog post claiming the product was replaced free of charge, I started the process.

First step: Garmin support Website reporting the issue, torn belt Result: Email asking me to access support website and provide more information.

Second step: Support website access, provided Serial number (second time), where it was purchased (Amazon) and if I have warranty (no) Result: Email asking me to ship the product to Garmin service center. Explaining the service charge I am expected to pay – About USD$100 Asking me again to provide receipts, warranty and that if they do not exist, I may be charged

So, now I have to decide. Do I risk spending my time and money sending the package and hope for a replacement and then be charged for the service, or I just throw the device (in the nearest designated electronic device service day)

I feel both delighted and ashamed about this blog post. Such a simple solution, such an improvement of the product. But how come it took me so long to implement?

I have been using Zassenhaus Coffee Grinder and was always a bit frustrated that the Grinder settings drift and I sometimes get the right grain sizes, sometimes I don’t. Yet I continued to use the product as it is, thinking that the maker should have designed the product better.

This week I finally decided to improve the product by myself, not blaming the maker design. Found the right settings of the coffee grinder for a pour over, used a marker to mark the location and Voilà , the coffee grinder is so much better now. I have a visual indication that the grinder drifted and can re-set it for the next grind. Perfect.

On another note, made me think why Zassenhaus did not add this mark by themselves. It is because they felt it is not needed, that the grinder will not drift, or is it for esthetic reasons, keep the design clean. Not sure why, but I strongly recommend everyone to do that (also to Zassenhaus)

Only problem is that “everyone” are trying to access the online site at the same time. It was obvious it is going to happen, but I am still surprised it does. Can’t IT organizations plan for such events better? Registration method, better scaling .

I just need to wait and click Refresh once in a while and hope to get through.

As expected, Concerts are being canceled due to the Covid-19 Situation.

MGMT were supposed to come to Japan in May for a music festival and two more concerts, which are obviously not going to happen. The process of getting my money back is a bit annoying, but I trust it will come and I am sure it is more painful to the organizers.

We often here in Japan that a high percentage of new patients are 経路不明 meaning cannot trace how they got the Corona Virus. Either because they do not know, or that the patients do not want to tell.

With all due respect to Privacy laws in Japan, I think the government can do more to track and analyze.

First and most obvious is Cellular Phone location. Government can get cellular phone location of patients, track their location and try to find common places and source.

Second, which is probably less effective, but is interesting for me is genomic tracking of the Corona Virus. Apparently, the mutation of the virus and analysis of that can track the source and spread. Twitter and internet are discuss and quote Trevor Bredford’s twitter and analysis.

As always, decide to read WHO Recommendations and analysis of the Corona Virus. All WHO situation reports are online from the first report January 21. Focused in the first few reports to understand how WHO handled the situation and what were the recommendations.

“With the information currently available for the novel coronavirus, WHO advises that measures to limit the risk of exportation or importation of the disease should be implemented, without unnecessary restrictions of international traffic.”

The advisory recommend screening people in exit and entrance of international ports, when there was not enough information if all patients are symptomatic.

This argument is quite political right now, and obviously the most important thing is to contain the virus and get back to our normal lives, but I certainly hope WHO and the international community will study from this and react faster in the future.

And a word about Taiwan, which is not a member of the WHO . Taiwan learned SARS lessons and reacted faster, closing borders, monitoring and containing faster than other countries while not getting any assistance or information from WHO.

I do watch Korean movies once in a while, mostly on Korean Air flights, so I am not strange to their style (and quality).

But I feel this move is over-rated, and could not explain to myself why it won the Oscar.

It is a good movie, but I wished it had some more depth in it.

The good:

Social issues: The movie addresses some Korean social issues like importance of education, getting into the right school. The social gap between the rich and educated to people who cannot escape the poverty line. The cost of failure: Taking loans and the need to go underground to stay alive

Photography, feeling of almost watching a play as most of the movie takes place inside of two houses, the rich and the poor

I wish it had more:

The rich are not that bad. Obviously in one of the last scenes the rich prefer to take care of a child which just fainted rather than handle a stabbing wound. But I wish there was more connection between the rich and the poor. For example, the rich owning lands and forcing the poor out of their home While the son fantasizes about marrying the rich Daughter, I wish she was more cruel. Just playing with him as a diversion. There was a hint of that in the movie, but I wanted it to be stronger